


Itaru's SSR Triangle

by novocaine_sea



Series: checkpoints [1]
Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, lots of them - Freeform, triangles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27340081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novocaine_sea/pseuds/novocaine_sea
Summary: Misumi steals Itaru’s gaming controller, and in the process steals Itaru’s heart too.
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru/Ikaruga Misumi
Series: checkpoints [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983826
Comments: 10
Kudos: 68





	Itaru's SSR Triangle

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to laugh at the title bc it's all I could come up with! I definitely wrote this series backwards ahaha... I think I might write more tho...

Itaru is panicking, which he seems to be doing a lot these days. Lots of his things have gone missing, but most notably his controller keeps disappearing and then coming back days later. But he doesn’t have time for that today. He needs his controller because he needs to knock the smug look off of Banri’s  _ face- _

“You took it, didn’t you?” He whirls on Banri, who is standing in the middle of his room, one hand shoved in his pocket and the other balancing a purple controller in his palm. He’d brought it over to play, but clearly watching Itaru have a meltdown was more fun.

“I didn’t touch your shitty controller,” Banri says and Itaru scowls, lifting up the couch pillows for the fifth time now, “Maybe Chikage-san took it.”

“No, Senpai isn’t that cruel.” Itaru barely knows a thing about the man, but he wouldn’t take something so meaningless to him as a controller. Itaru looks to Banri again, and catches a glimpse of something on the controller that triggers a cutscene in his mind, thinking of a particular Summer troupe member. It unlocks a new route if you will,an unprecedented one, and it has Itaru marching to the door. Banri calls out to him, but Itaru is on the mission, having selected that route and he’s going to accept the consequences. 

It’s quite the trek to room 203, but Itaru has had nastier battles. He hopes he looks quite menacing with his bangs pulled up and out of his face, his slippers with wings and a smile as he knocks on the door. It swings open almost immediately, as if the person inside had been waiting for him.

“Hello~!” Misumi cheers with a bright smile on his face. It’s cute, Itaru’s brain so kindly points out for him, but it’s forgetting their mission.

“Hey, Misumi,” he turns on his daytime charm, the smile he saves for his coworkers and clients. It’s dazzling but Misumi doesn’t look fazed, which mildly ticks Itaru off. “I was wondering, do you have my gaming controller? Its gone missing.”

Misumi giggles and bounces away for a moment, allowing Itaru to see the triangular monstrosity that is Misumi’s (and Kumon’s) room. It’s really something else, there are triangular flags everywhere, triangular pillows, posters, books, furniture. The younger Hyodo must be pretty easy going to allow this. Itaru’s just glad that Chikage doesn’t make any mess; sometimes it feels like Itaru is still living alone, and he prefers it that way. 

“This one?” The plastic that Itaru worships is thrust into his face and reaches up to take it, his smile tightening on his lips. 

“Mhm, that’s the one. Did you take this from my room?”

Misumi keeps smiling and smiling, as if he did nothing wrong. Doesn’t he know Itaru’s life is at stake with this. “Yeah! I remembered it had a triangle on it!”

“You can’t just take people’s stuff without their permission, Misumi,” Itaru scolds gently. Misumi’s features flatten into a frown, bottom lip jutting out ever so slightly when he realizes Itaru is no longer smiling. It tugs at something in Itaru’s chest, something dusty and hidden away, never unlocked before. Naturally, he ignores it.

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Even his voice sounds sad and Itaru sighs quietly.

“It’s okay. Please don’t do it again.”

“I won’t~! I promise!” Determination burns bright in orange eyes and Itaru has to look away.

“Thx. I’ll be leaving now.” But before he can turn away, Misumi smiles again and then gasps, eyes flicking up to Itaru’s hair.

“Triangle!” His fingers form into the shape and surround the puff of hair on top of Itaru’s head. Itaru’s cheeks warm and he crosses his eyes trying to look up at his hair.

“Ah, I guess it does kind of look like a triangle. GJ, Misumi.” 

Misumi beams and reaches to squeeze his hand without another word before bouncing back into his room. Weird. So weird. But Itaru’s skin tingles all the way back to his room, where Banri sits on the couch and fiddles with his phone.

“Oh cool, you got it,” Banri doesn’t even look up, but Itaru flops down beside him and connects his controller.

“Yeah, now I can kick your ass.”

“In your dreams, Taruchi.”

After that, Itaru sees a lot more of Misumi.

His controller goes missing a few more times, but at least Itaru doesn’t panic. He knows who’s doing it, so he can catch him in the act. And every time, Misumi will squeeze his hand and smile that dopey smile of his, looking almost like a big fluffy dog. (Itaru knows Misumi prefers cats, but it’s where his brain goes, and he doesn’t ask questions. That would be too sus.) Itaru finds it cute anyhow, despite not knowing how Misumi gets through the locked door. Even Chikage could be able to Misumi-proof the room.

And then come the gifts, all triangular in shape, all very random.

At first it’s a keychain of Super Sankaku. Misumi gives it to him one morning before work.

“He’ll bring you good luck!” Misumi says definitively as he presses it into the palm of Itaru’s left hand, right hand clutching his briefcase. 

“Thanks,” Itaru mumbles and puts it in his pocket once he’s out the door, swapping it for his phone. Really, the only luck Itaru needs is gacha luck. Halfway to the station, on a whim, he decides to pull. He gets the SSR of his best girl and stops walking, Chikage stopping a few steps ahead.

“Chigasaki?” He calls. Itaru shakes his head and continues on, pushing his phone back into the pocket with Super Sankaku. It must be some spur of luck. Maybe Sakuya rubbed his phone when he wasn’t looking. 

The next morning, Misumi spins him around before he can head out and tucks something into his pocket. Itaru looks down at what it is, and sees a periwinkle handkerchief folded neatly into a triangle. It suspiciously resembles Misumi’s hair, and is even equipped with orange polka dots. It’s ugly as sin and clashes with his beige suit, especially when Misumi places his hand over it, “To complete your outfit, Itaru!”

Itaru hopes he can’t feel his heart skip a beat under his palm. He only departs with a nod and a crease in his brow. If Chikage cares, or even spares a glance at him, he decides to save him the embarrassment and keep his mouth shut. 

Itaru doesn’t see Misumi for a couple of days after that, until Misumi barges into his room without knocking. Itaru doesn’t hear him at first of course, because he’s deep in the realms of the Shadow World, not to be perceived. Out of the corner of his eye he sees a plate of onigiri being set on his desk, a familiar hand that has been squeezing his own and touching him just above the heart, and when Itaru tilts his head back he sees that same toothy grin that has had him questioning his whole life for the past few days.

“Misumi, how did you get in here?”

“Through the door!” Misumi giggles and he picks up one onigiri, holding it out to Itaru, “I made you some yummy onigiri!”

Itaru eyes it. He’s had Misumi’s onigiri before, and it’s never been poisoned, but this somehow feels like a test. “Thx,” He tentatively takes it in his hand and nibbles on the tip to appease Misumi, stare as intense as ever. It’s good, but there was really no doubt considering Misumi had made it. Misumi seems to be content in staying, chomping on his onigiri happily. Itaru hadn’t intended on having company today, but for some reason he just can’t bring himself to kick Misumi out.

“You wanna play?” Itaru asks, motioning to the controller sitting on his desk. He can dig out another so they can even play together. Itaru can be self-sacrificing sometimes.

Misumi tilts his head, “I’ve never really played before!”

Itaru blinks. And then he blinks again. “What.”

Misumi giggles, “I always just watch!”

“Not even as a kid?”

“I always played outside!” There’s a hint of sadness in his tone, and Itaru looks up at him to catch a flash of something somber in molten eyes. But it’s gone as soon as it comes and Misumi smiles again, “Will Itaru teach me?” 

Itaru thinks for a moment. He can’t just let Misumi go through life never experiencing the joys of gaming. “Yeah, come on,” He stands from his chair and leads Misumi over to the couch, Misumi bringing the onigiri with him. He turns on his system and waits for it to boot, Misumi bouncing anxiously next to him. Itaru feels as if he’s set out on an important quest with this task, passing Misumi one of the controllers as the game boots.

Misumi sucks, that much is immediately obvious. Itaru is a little obvious, but this is Misumi’s literal first time, so he has to be gentle. And it turns out to be fun, in the end. Misumi laughs and “ahhh!”s every time he dies, and Itaru laughs with him, because really there’s no reason for him to lose so many lives. Itaru had put the game in easy mode, but Misumi’s going at it like it’s hard. 

“This is fun,” Misumi smiles brightly after the billionth time he dies. Itaru sighs and flops back against the cushions,  _ Easy for you to say, I’m literally carrying you _ .

“Yeah, it is.”

Itaru thinks about this encounter a lot, in the coming days. It makes sense that Misumi had never played video games, considering how agile he is, but really who would rob a child of that kind of fun? And then there’s the fact that Misumi would lean into him, lending him his warmth with every snort and giggle. He would ask questions and Itaru would do his best to answer, but they’re all surface level.

Itaru finds himself wanting to go deeper into Misumi’s mind and spend more time with him, which is odd, considering 3DPD and all that. He doesn’t often get the chance, considering work and wherever Misumi yeets himself off to during the day, but he comes home to work to an incredulous cry from Summer’s leader.

“Where the hell did this come from?!”

“I found it!” Misumi chirps and Itaru steps farther into the dorm, seeing a traffic sitting casually in the middle of the room. Huh.

“Epic,” Itaru laughs and Misumi’s senses must have kicked in because his head whips around to the sound of Itaru’s voice. Itaru is surprised that it doesn’t fly off.

“Itaru! Look, a triangle!”

“You need to put that back,” Tenma argues and Misumi giggles as he picks it up, aiming to put it over Tenma’s head, but Tenma flails and dodges the attack.

“I can help hold him down,” Itaru says. He’ll consider it his workout for the year. He unbuttons his suit and marches towards Tenma, who shouts and rushes out of the room. Itaru stops with a shrug and a lazy grin at Misumi, who is pouting.

“Aw.”

Itaru pats his shoulder, “Next time we’ll get him.” That cheers Misumi up, and he rushes off with his traffic cone without another word. Something beats in Itaru’s chest, and he thinks it may be fondness.

The final gift that Misumi gives him is perhaps the greatest of all. After that first night of teaching Misumi how to play video games, it becomes a regular thing. Typically Itaru would only want to game with Banri, seeking him out and shoving a controller in his hand so he can’t refuse, but playing with Misumi is... entertaining. Misumi is always so amazed by whatever’s happening, and is always able to find triangles in the most obscure of places. 

That night Misumi barges in his room with a happy grin and a box of hot, cheesy pizza in his arms and Itaru falls in love right then and there.

“I brought us pizza!” Misumi grins and he puts the box down, flipping it open, “Look, triangles!”

“Yeah,” Itaru smiles and it’s genuine, not the charming one he’d put on when Misumi had initially stolen his controller, “This is the good kind of triangle. The SSR kind.”

Misumi tilts his head, already having a slice shoved in his mouth, cheeks bulged as he chews. Itaru snorts and picks up his own slice, dripping with grease and oh it tastes like heaven.

“Hey, Misumi?” Itaru tilts his head at him when he’s polished off his slice, licking his fingers clean of grease. He doesn’t care about being disgusting around Misumi, or showing off his true form, because he knows Misumi won’t judge. He’s not sure that Misumi even has the stat for that.

“Yeah?” Misumi asks in that airy tone of his.

“Why do you keep bringing me things?”

It’s quiet for one second, and then: “Because I like you!”

What.

“I like you too, but I don’t bring you th-” Itaru is cut off by lips on his. Real life lips, soft and plush and tasting like cheese and sauce and all the goodness that Itaru had just been devouring. There’s a hand on his cheek and another on his thigh, squeezing gently. The fingers against his cheek twitch, maybe with nerves or out of habit. Itaru would like to find out.

“Oh.” Itaru is breathless when Misumi pulls back, eyes shining brightly in the dimly lit room.

“I like you Itaru. Do you like me too?”

Does he? Itaru enjoys spending time with him, and he’d kept all the gifts that Misumi had given him (the ones he wasn’t able to digest, at least). He thinks about him every day, looks forward to their gaming sessions, even thinks of ways to hang out with him outside of his room. Now that’s a scary thought.

“I think I’d like to,” Itaru admits and Misumi’s eyes widen. Suddenly, Itaru’s got a lapful of him and he’s not quite sure what to do with his arms and hands, but he thinks this may be even better than pulling an SSR. 

**Author's Note:**

> pls talk a3 w me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/novocaine_sea)


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